Grandma Jacobs’ Potato Soup

My grandmother thought that no proper dinner ever began without soup.
This is a very inexpensive and easy Old World recipe she brought with
her from the Warsaw Ghetto, and taught to my mother. Whenever my mom
made it -- when I was very small -- my dad always referred to it as
“Soupe du Jour-du Jour” when I asked what we were having. I have since
learned that Alsatians think this is a “French” soup! I just think
it’s GOOD!

Makes 6 generous servings

Ingredients:

a large pot of cold water
4 large Idaho potatoes, peeled
2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium-large onion, stuck with 2 cloves and poked through with a
knife
sea salt and white pepper
1 dried (green) bay leaf
1/2 cup flour (2 ounces)
1 stick unsalted butter (4 ounces)

Preparation:

Cube the potatoes and add them to the pot of water along with all the
other vegetables.

Bring the mixture to the boil and allow to simmer merrily for 30
minutes.

In a medium sized skillet, melt the butter and add the flour to make a
roux. Stir constantly to remove any potential lumps and make a smooth
paste.

Continue stirring constantly until the roux turns VERY dark brown. BE
CAREFUL NOT TO BURN THE ROUX or you have to start all over again.

Remove the pot from the heat and add the roux, stirring constantly.
When the foaming subsides, taste and correct the seasoning.

Remove the bay leaf and the whole onion before serving.

Teacher’s Tip: Because this soup is so plain, you can easily embellish
it by adding a pound of tiny bay scallops about 2 minutes before
serving, or slice some garlicky sausage into the soup and allow to
heat through – or BOTH!

Wine Tip: As Potato Soup, I’d serve it with a chilled Pinot Grigio. If
you add the Scallops and/or sausage, I’d prefer a Beaujolais Villages
(red).






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